Ship construction.



J. SZEEESSY. SHIP CONSTRUCTION. APPLIOATVION FILED APB. l, 1914,

Patented July 28, 1914.

62x71 line/Joao l THE NORRIS PET-ERS CO4. PHOT-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. 'C

*UNITED STAWENT OFFICE? JOHN sznPnssY, or cnnrnnvinnn, Mnnvraiii\13;'A

SHIP CONSTRUCTION.

T0 all whom# may concern: v r

Be it known that I, JOHN SznPEssY, a subject of the King of Hungary,residing at Centerville, in the county of Queen Annes and State ofMaryland, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in` ShipConstruction, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in shipconstruction.

'lhe primary object of this device is to provide such vessels as lifeboats with a shiftable ballast which will automatically remain in itsproper position regardless of the `eect of the waves and the elementseX- erted upon the vessel.

A further object is to provide ashiftable ballast for all kinds offloating crafts of such a design as to normally shift to a balancingposition at the bottom of the boat.

A still further object is to provide a shiftable ballast mounted uponupright members carried by the bottom of a boat and having suitableguides and limiting means for such ballast during its movement.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as thenature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovelcombination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which likedesignating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout theseveral views: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a boat having the presentdevice mounted therein, parts being broken` away. Fig. 2 isa transversevertical sectional view thereof takenthrough one of the mounting meansfor` the ballast member. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an end portionof the ballast member and the kmeans carried thereby. Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view upon line IV-V of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is anenlarged horizontal sectional view taken upon line V-V of Fig. 4.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the ballast member 10 isillustrated as having upwardly projecting posts 11 adjacent its oppositeends and provided with conical sockets 12 for receiving the uprightposts 13 mounted in the block 14 upon the keel portion 15 of the hull 16and whereby the Speclcation of LettersPatentA `Patellterfl J111y28,1914.y y Application med April 1, 1914.` seri/a1 No. 828,739..

ballastmember isshiftably suspended. The

.outer sides of the ballast member are curved as at 17 for conforming tothe shape-of the inner side of the hull while arcuate slots 18 open attheir tops are provided adjacent the opposite edges of the ballastmember and adapted to receive downwardly projecting sheathing strips 19slidablyk therein.

utwardly projecting arms 20 are carried bythe posts lladjacent to thetops thereof and the outer free ends of saidarms yare slidably mountedwithin the U-sh'aped blocksk 21 secured/at `opposite points interiorlyof the vessel and to said lining sheathing19 thereof. Theopposite sidesof the opening 22 of the 4blocks 21 are provided withanti-fri-ctionballs 2 8 secured in raceways .24` in said block bymeans ofkeeper stripsy25. A crossbar 26 having a central neck 27 provided with a downwardlyeX- tending finger 28 isk adapted tobe mounted upon each of said posts11 by the seating of the finger 28 within the 'central tapered socket 29formed in the top of each post.

By this construction of device it will be seen that the ballast member10 is free to swing upon the upright members 13 whenever the yhull isshifted by the waves while the ends of the cross arm 2O are freelyslidable upon the ball bearings of the side blocks 21 and the sidewisemovement of the ballast is limited by the free opposite endsr ing 19within the slots 18 of the ballast n,

member presents an unbroken interior surface for the boat. It will thusbe evident that the contents of the boat which is positioned upon themember 10 interiorly of the boat will at all times retain its stableposition by reason of the upper surface of the ballast member retainingritshorizontal position and thus the contents of the boat will beunaffectedby the sidewise rolling movement of the hull and will assistthe boat in maintaining its equilibrium upon the waves.

While the forms of'the invention herein shown and described are what arebelieved to be preferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to beunderstood that `minor changes may be made in the form, proporpartingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in ythe appendedclaims.

lVhat is claimed as new is l. A device of the class described comprisinga hull, upright posts mounted upon the keel portion of the hull, aballast member having hollow posts upwardly extending thereon vandmounted upon said .upright posts, outwardly extending arms adjacentteriorly of the hull and adapted for the sliding reception of the freeopposite ends of said arms, said ballast member provided with arcuateslots adjacent the opposite upper edges thereof, inner sheathing stripswithin said hull adapted for sliding receptionwithin said slots and aremovable cross for limiting the lateral movement of said ballastmember.

2. A device of the class described comprising a hull, spaced blockspositioned interiorly and mounted upon the keel portion thereof, uprightposts mounted in said blocks, a shiftable ballast member having postsmounted thereon provided with conical sockets therein adapted forseating over said upright posts, said ballast member having curved outerfaces and provided with arcuate slots spaced inwardly from said faces,innersheathing strips carried by said hull and adapted for slidingreception within said slots, U-shaped anti-friction guide blockscarriedat opposite points within said gage the inner sides of the hullupon a tilting of the ballast member, a projecting iingerupon each ofvsaid stop bars, a depressed socket in the top of each of said i postsof the ballast member and adapted for the seating reception of saidlingers therein.

3. A device of the class described comprising a hull, upright postsrigidly `mounted linteriorly upon the keel portion thereof, a

ballast member within said hull and having upwardly projecting conicalsockets therein for the mounting reception of said upright posts,anti-friction guide means for said ballast member carried by said hull,said ballast bar upon each of said hollow posts adapted f memberprovided with arcuate slots adjacent its opposite edges, inner sheathingstrips having their lower edges slidably received within said slots andlimiting stop bars carried by said ballast member and adapted forengaging the inner sides of said hull upon the tilting movement of saidballast member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN SZEPESSY.

Copie.: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

